Raman spectroscopy, boosted by the development of mobile instruments, is one of the most popular techniques for analysing works of art and delicate archaeological features due to its non-invasive nature and the fact that the objects being examined remain fully intact. This has just been illustrated to great effect in an upcoming issue of Journal of Raman Spectroscopy entitled “Raman in Art and Archaeology 2013” which gathers together a series of fascinating papers in this area.